Who will be the referee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria?

Defending champions Argentina begin their title defense against Algeria, in the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J.

This will be Argentina’s eighteenth tournament appearance and the third tournament in which the country enters as defending champions. Algeria is playing its fourth ever FIFA World Cup, last qualifying for the 2014 edition. That tournament also saw its best ever finish, finishing second in its group and qualifying for the Round of 16, but losing to eventual champions Germany after extra time.

Who will be the referee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and Algeria?

The match between Argentina and Algeria at the 2026 World Cup will be officiated by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak.

Marciniak made his debut in the Polish second division in 2008 and has been a full international FIFA referee since 2011. This will be his third FIFA World Cup, with him refereeing two matches in 2018 and three matches in 2022. Most notably, Marciniak was in charge of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, in which Argentina defeated France on penalties. He regularly manages the Polish top division and the UEFA Champions League.

During his career, Marciniak has refereed 712 games in all competitions. He has issued 2894 yellow cards (average 4.06 per match) and 161 red cards (average 0.22 per match).

Marciniak also refereed the 2018 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, and the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. The 45-year-old was also named the world’s best referee for 2022 and 2023 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Full list of referees/match officials for Argentina vs Algeria

• Referee: Szymon Marciniak

• Assistant referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz

• Assistant referee 2: Adam Kupsik

• 4th official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh

• Reserve assistant referee: Isaac Trevis

Published on June 16, 2026